President Gives Shaw A Fund-raising Boost

South Florida Visit Draws 60 Protesters

May 9, 2006|By Brittany Wallman and Robert Nolin Staff Writers and Staff Researcher Jeremy Milarsky contributed to this report.

FORT LAUDERDALE — President Bush flew to Fort Lauderdale on Monday, raising a record amount of money for U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale.

More than 350 people attended an event at the home of Monica and Mike Maroone, contributing in excess of $800,000 -- Shaw's single-largest fund-raiser in his 25 years in Congress, he said. "Oh, my goodness. It's been a wonderful, wonderful day," an elated Shaw said afterwards.

The fund-raiser at the car dealer's $7 million-plus residence in east Fort Lauderdale was a gigantic boon for Shaw, and comes at a crucial time. Shaw is waging an expensive, tough re-election campaign against a well-known state senator, Ron Klein of Boca Raton, a Democrat.

Bush repeatedly told supporters at the fund-raiser that Shaw is working to become the next chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, a coveted but competitive position. Klein is hoping the president's sagging popularity will cause the visit to backfire. In radio ads, he reminded voters of Shaw's philosophical likeness to Bush, and their close voting records.

In the 2004 presidential race, 52 percent of voters in Shaw's District 22 in Broward and Palm Beach counties voted for Democratic candidate John Kerry. The district also favored Democrat Al Gore in 2000.

"While Clay Shaw's raking in the cash, we're paying the price for the Bush-Cheney-Shaw agenda, with skyrocketing gasoline prices, rising costs for health care and prescription drugs, higher insurance rates, and a war that keeps raging on," the radio ad told listeners.

Shaw said Klein's wrong.

"Anytime I can say as a sitting member of Congress that I have the ear of the president of the United States, I don't care who it is, that's a big plus. You think Klein can even get his phone call returned? I don't think so." The president arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as police sharpshooters watched from the rooftop. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, a registered Democrat who is unabashedly conservative, was the first to greet him.

"I think Shaw's proud of the president," Naugle said beforehand. "I am. I mean, who's against tapping someone's phone if they're on the phone with al-Qaida? Only a crazy, wacko liberal."

After disembarking from Air Force One, the president stopped on the tarmac to honor David Tompkins, 18, from North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek for his volunteer work. "I'm just an ordinary kid trying to do my part," Tompkins said, as his proud parents -- one a Republican, one a Democrat -- shot photos and videotape.

The appearance drew about 60 war protesters -- and at least half that number of police -- to Idlewyld/Merle Fogg Park at the western foot of the Las Olas Boulevard bridge, along his route to the fund-raiser. Behind a waist-high steel barrier and a row of previously planted Shaw campaign signs, the protesters chanted, "Resist, fight back, no war against Iraq!"

Their numbers included pregnant women, children, retirees and even a contingent of the Raging Grannies, a national protest group. They waved signs like "Bush Step Down" and "Impeach the War Criminal."

"We've got to be relentless in the pressure that we put on this administration until the war is over," said Ray Del Papa of Fort Lauderdale, a veteran protester. The crowd became galvanized when Bush's motorcade sped past. "Murderer! War criminal! Terrorist!" they shouted. About 20 minutes later, the crowd began to disperse. "No problem whatsoever," said police Sgt. Bill Schultz. "None of them have caused any problems."

Democrats have consistently considered Shaw's seat as vulnerable, even though it was redrawn to make it safer for Republicans. In addition, Shaw's lung cancer battle continues to cause speculation he is weak, or ready to quit.

The Washington Post reported two weeks ago that Shaw "is battling lung cancer, which leaves open the possibility he will bow out for health reasons." But Shaw said he is cancer-free and he feels "99 percent."

Staff Researcher Jeremy Milarsky contributed to this report.

Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

PRESIDENT BUSH IN BROWARD COUNTY

TODAY: President Bush appears this morning at the Broward Community College North Campus in Coconut Creek, at a Medicare prescription drug benefit enrollment event, with U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale. He flies out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in the late morning.